5 causes of lower back pain

Introduction

Lower back pain is the most common type of pain that people experience. There are many possible causes of lower back pain, and it can be difficult to know which one applies to you. Read on to learn more about what causes lower back pain and how a visit to an osteopath can help.

The most common cause of lower back pain is a slipped disc.

The most common cause of lower back pain is a slipped disc. A slipped disc occurs when the soft cushioning between your vertebrae, called a "disc," becomes damaged and slips out of place.

These discs act as shock absorbers in your spine and help to absorb impact from everyday activities such as walking or running.

A slipped disc is often caused by an injury or strain on the area where two vertebrae meet (called a facet joint).

This can lead to inflammation that causes swelling in this area and puts pressure on nearby nerves, which radiate pain down into your leg or foot depending on which nerves are affected by it.

Degenerative disc disease

Degenerative disc disease is a common causes of lower back pain. As we age, our discs lose water content and become less flexible. This makes them more susceptible to injury or tearing, which can cause some serious pain in your lower back.

As you might imagine from its name, degenerative disc disease occurs when discs begin degenerating due to aging or other factors such as trauma or inflammation from an injury like whiplash.

As these changes occur within the structure of your spine, it puts additional stress on surrounding muscles and ligaments; this extra tension may cause chronic discomfort throughout your body as well as localised pain in certain areas like your lower back region--that's why people often associate this kind of pain with sitting too long at work all day!

Scoliosis can cause lower back pain because it affects the curvature of the spine.

Scoliosis is a condition that causes the spine to curve to one side. If you have scoliosis, you might be able to see your spine in the mirror and notice that it curves outwards or inwards.

Scoliosis can cause lower back pain if your spinal curvature puts pressure on nerves in your lower back that carry signals from the brain to muscles that control movement and feeling in parts of the body above and below (like arms).

Arthritis

Arthritis is another degenerative condition that causes pain and stiffness in the joints, especially those of the lower back. The most common form of arthritis is osteoarthritis, which can occur due to age or as a result of overuse.

Arthritis can also be caused by inflammation that leads to redness or swelling around the affected area.

If you're experiencing these symptoms in your lower back, it's important to see a professional right away so they can diagnose what type of arthritis you have and start treatment accordingly.

Sacroiliac joint dysfunction (SIJ)

Sacroiliac joint dysfunction (SIJ) is a common cause of lower back pain. It can be caused by injury, trauma or repetitive strain.

The sacrum is the bone at the base of your spine and sits on top of two pairs of hip bones known as your sacroiliac joints (SIJs).

If there is an imbalance in these joints it can lead to pain in your lower back. The treatment for this condition involves osteopathy which aims to restore balance within your body by manipulating soft tissue structures such as muscles and ligaments around joints.

There are many possible causes of lower back pain and osteopathy can help

There are many possible causes of lower back pain, but osteopathy can help with all of them.

Osteopaths treat the whole body, not just your back. They take into account how everything is connected and will treat you as a whole person rather than just focusing on your spine or joints alone.

This holistic approach means that they can help with all sorts of problems that might be causing your lower back pain: from poor posture to tight muscles in other parts of your body (causing strain on your spine) or even emotional factors like stress or anxiety which can affect how well you move around during the day, causing tension in muscles which then leads to further injury over time if left untreated.

Conclusion

We hope this article has helped you understand the different causes of lower back pain, and what you can do to prevent it.

If you're interested in learning more about osteopathic treatment for lower back pain or other conditions, please contact us today! You can book an appointment with our osteopaths here.